FAO says nearly 50 million people in West Africa face food insecurity

…as Zulum calls for large-scale investment in smart agric

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has said that almost 50 millions people are currently suffering from food insecurity in the West Africa region.

Kofi Dominic, FAO Country Representative, made this assertion at a Panel Discussion at the 5th Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum held in Maiduguri, Borno State Capital on Thursday.

Dominic said that the figure indicated a sharp increase of 35 million in just five years. He therefore, called for an urgent intervention to prevent further deterioration of the region’s food crisis.

The envoy noted that there were only five years remaining to meet the global target of zero hunger by 2030. Dominic called on donor agencies, governments and private sector and other stakeholders to take immediate action.

“In 2020, there were 15 million people in food insecurity across West Africa.

Today, that number has surged to 50 million despite all efforts in agriculture, livestock, and food distribution,” Dominic said.

He attributed the crisis to three major factors: conflict, climate change, and economic shocks, which had severely disrupted food production and supply chains across the region.

“Last year alone, 15 countries in West and Central Africa experienced devastating floods, affecting nearly seven million people.

“In Nigeria, floods destroyed 850,000 metric tons of food — enough to feed eight million people for six months,” the envoy added.

Also speaking, David Stevenson, the Country Representative for WFP, highlighted the severity of the crisis in the region. He said that the region was grappling with numerous challenges, including climate change, conflict and displacement, which had exacerbated food shortage.

“‘Currently, over 7 million people in the Lake Chad Basin are food insecure, and this figure continues to rise as the crisis deepens. In addition, we are witnessing the displacement of over 3 million people across the region, with acute shortages of medical services and essential supplies”, Stevenson said.

He also stressed the importance of cooperation between countries in the Basin, pointing out that regional partnerships, involving the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) would be critical in achieving long term solutions.

Earlier, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno, called for the establishment of large-scale irrigation farms as key solution to addressing the escalating food insecurity in the Lake Chad Basin region.

The governor made the call during a panel discussion entitled “Ensuring Food Security through Building Resilience of Food Systems in the Lake Chad Basin Region” at the 5th Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum in Maiduguri.

Governor Zulum emphasised that the Lake Chad Basin region is endowed with vast arable land which, if properly harnessed, can significantly contribute to the region’s food security. He underscored the importance of collaboration between regional governors, critical partners, and the United Nations to establish irrigation farms that can be efficiently managed by agricultural experts.